Would you like to know who offers free identity theft protection? Identity theft is one of the rampant crimes, especially in today’s society.
It is more important than ever to safeguard your information, given the rising cases of hacks and cyber-related crimes.
Though many paid services can effectively protect one from identity theft, several companies offer free resources and tools that can assist in preventing identity theft.
You should always safeguard your private information to avoid losses and be secure. On the bright side, many organizations and services provide free identity theft protection to protect your identity.
Most credit card firms and banks offer complimentary monitoring services to their clients to notify them of any unauthorized transactions.
This article explains the various service provisions to protect yourself from identity theft. We will look into who provides free identity theft protection and how you can get these services.
ALSO READ – Identity Theft Protection Pros And Cons
Now, let’s get started.
Free Identity Protection Service
- 1. Credit Bureaus
Three major credit reporting organizations in the United States include Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
They offer several free services to help you monitor and protect your identity; some of these services include:
Free Annual Credit Reports: Getting a free annual credit report from each bureau through AnnualCreditReport.com is possible.
It is also essential to review the credit reports frequently to identify any fraudulent activities or mistakes that may have occurred.
Credit Freezes: A credit freeze limits the options for identity thieves because they cannot access your credit report and, therefore, cannot open new accounts in your name.
No cost is associated with freezing and unfreezing your credit with all three credit reporting bureaus.
- 2. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC provides various free tools and resources for identity theft protection and recovery; one such tool is:
IdentityTheft.gov: This is a free website for reporting identity theft and offers a recovery plan for the victims.
It provides comprehensive instructions on handling specific situations involving identity theft, such as tax or medical theft.
- 3. Banks And Credit Card Issuing Companies
Many banks and credit card firms provide free identity theft protection services to their customers; here are some of those services:
Fraud Alerts: All financial institutions have free fraud alert services that help notify you of any fraudulent activities on your accounts.
Identity Theft Resolution Services: Certain financial institutions include free identity theft resolution services, which help resolve the problems if your identity gets compromised.
- 4. Insurance Companies
Some insurance companies include free identity theft protection as part of their policies; we would list some of them below:
Allstate: Provide free identity theft protection to those who buy their homeowners’ insurance policies besides monitoring the credit profiles, sending fraud alerts, and helping those victimized recover from identity theft.
State Farm: Offers identity theft resolution support to their policyholders for no extra cost and guides them through reclaiming their identities.
5. Technology Companies
A few tech companies provide free identity theft protection as part of their broader security offerings:
Microsoft Provides free-of-charge security tools and tips that can be found on the site and safeguard your identity and information.
Google: It offers features such as 2-Step Verification and Google account access notifications to help you safeguard your data.
ALSO READ – What Identity Theft Protection Is Best?
Tips For Using Free Identity Theft Protection Services
- 1. Regularly Monitor Your Credit
However, free identity theft protection services should not make consumers complacent in managing their credit records.
This is important to ensure that no new accounts suddenly appear on your credit reports that you know very little about, new accounts, or inquiries on your credit report that are unfamiliar to you.
- 2. Set Up Fraud Alerts
Free fraud alert services can help enhance the security of your financial accounts. Such alerts inform you of any suspicious activity so appropriate action can be taken if required.
- 3. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Always ensure you have unique passwords for all your passwords and accounts. For your passwords, do not use the same password for more than one site, and for convenience, use a password manager to assist you.
- 4. Be Very Careful With Your Personal Information.
Exercise caution when revealing your information to the public. Do not disclose personal details over open networks; do not fall prey to phishing webs and unwanted emails.
What Are The Limitations Of Free Identity Theft Protection Services?
Although people can use many free ID protection services, they need some limitations. They usually provide fundamental tracking for any activity, notifying you about activities like new credit inquiries or changes in your credit report.
However, they might not offer services such as identity theft recovery, insurance on lost funds, and other services that actively protect the consumer’s identity from being stolen.
Further, the free service provider might not offer real-time alerts, which may put you on the back foot when an exploit is looming.
They also may not address some types of identity theft, such as medical or criminal theft.
Additionally, customer support and ways to solve the problems connected with identity theft cannot be developed more efficiently than in paid services.
Even though free services for identity theft protection may seem more beneficial and enough than paid services initially, they still need to offer the increased security and assistance required to feel fully secure.
With these considerations in mind, deciding whether the paid service suits your requirements is necessary.
ALSO READ – How Much Does MacAfee Identity Theft Protection Cost
What Are The Options For Free Identity Theft Protection?
Free identity theft protection services are also helpful because they offer practical tools, but their protection can be limited or less than paid services. Paid identity theft protection services often include features such as:
Credit Monitoring: Ongoing tracking of your credit reports with all three credit bureaus.
Identity Theft Insurance: Reimbursement for all expenses incurred while trying to rectify the identity theft, including attorney fees, wages lost, etc.
Advanced Security Features: Advanced methods for identifying identity theft, including monitoring the dark web and notifications about changes in personal records.
ALSO READ – How Much Does Auto Insurance Cost?
Can I Get LifeLock For Free?
LifeLock is a reputable identity theft protection service provider that provides various tools to track and secure your information.
However, as mentioned before, LifeLock is a subscription-based company, and getting a free subscription is rare under normal conditions.
Understanding LifeLock’s Services
LifeLock offers different packages containing services such as credit monitoring, identity theft notification, dark web monitoring, and identity theft recovery.
These services seek strong protection against identity theft, but they are not free of charge. The subscription fees depend on the amount of required utilization and the additional features that come with it.
Free Trials And Promotions
Although LifeLock does not offer permanent free service, they may occasionally provide a free trial or a discount.
Such trials often let you test LifeLock’s services free of charge within a period of, for instance, 30-60 days.
This means that you can try most of the services that LifeLock provides during this period to determine the efficacy of each service.
New users should take the time to go through the terms and conditions to establish the length of the free trial and the billing frequency.
Alternatives To LifeLock
If you are seeking free identity theft protection services, other options for LifeLock include providing essential shield services without paying for a subscription.
For instance, you can use AnnualCreditReport.com to check your credit reports frequently for free.
Furthermore, most banks and credit card providers offer free fraud alerts and identity theft resolution services.
The Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov is another excellent free resource for reporting identity theft and developing a recovery plan.
Although LifeLock itself does not provide a permanently free service, there are free trial periods, and occasionally, there can be promotional discounts.
For those interested in obtaining free identity theft protection, using the complementary credit reports, the fraud alert services provided by financial institutions, and the IdentityTheft.com website would be helpful.
Some of these free services can offer basic features and help you guard against identity theft.
ALSO READ – Disability Insurance vs Workers Compensation
How Much Does It Cost To Protect Your Identity?
When it comes to the cost of protecting your identity, prices can vary depending on the level of service and protection that you wish to go for.
In most cases, expenses can range from free essential services to comprehensive protection plans that could cost hundreds of dollars annually.
- Free Services
Several free solutions will help protect your primary identity. Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are some credit bureaus that provide consumers with free access to their credit reports once a year to assist them in checking for any abnormality.
Furthermore, you can also freeze your credit for free to prevent fraudsters from accessing your credit reports.
It is also worth mentioning that many banks and Credit card providers provide free fraud warnings and essential monitoring services.
- Paid Services
Paid ID protection services are more elaborate in terms of the coverage they provide.
LifeLock, Identity Guard, and Norton 360 offer various plans, including credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, theft notice, and restoration services. Below is an average of paid plans provided by these companies:
Basic Plans typically cost between $10 and $15 per month and provide basic monitoring features and notifications.
Mid-Tier Plans: These additional plans for $20-$30 per month come with enhanced credit and other features like Credit reports from the three major credit bureaus and enhanced alert options.
Premium Plans: Advanced plans are priced at $40 or higher per month and come with the best features, including higher insurance coverage for identity theft restoration costs and comprehensive personal information monitoring within various platforms.
- Additional Costs
Apart from the monthly subscription fees, identity theft protection also entails extra charges if a need to be restored from an identity theft.
These may include legal expenses, lost earnings, and costs of rebuilding your identity.
Identity protection services range from free to paid plans of about $40 or even more monthly. Free services provide minimum protection, while paid services provide full-spectrum protection and no worries.
There is usually a trade-off between cost and the level of security required to keep your personal information safe.
Can I Lock My Identity?
Yes, you can lock your identity. Locking your identity is one of the most essential measures that help avoid identity theft and unauthorized access.
Here are several procedures that can assist you in locking or freezing your identity, thereby increasing your security and comfort.
- Credit Freezes
Credit freezes, often known as security freezes, are one of the most preventive measures that can be taken when it comes to identity theft.
This tool limits the availability of your credit report, and thus, it would be challenging for identity thieves to open accounts in your name.
You can place a credit freeze for free with each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.
Thus, you must send requests to each bureau and follow their guidelines, which usually involve submitting personal details and identity confirmation.
- Fraud Alerts
Another way to protect your identity is by including a fraud notice on your credit report. This is a warning to creditors that they must ensure you are who you claim to be before extending your credit.
Initial fraud alerts remain for one year but can be renewed. To place a fraud alert, you can go to any of the three major credit bureaus, and they will notify the other two.
- Secure Your Social Security Number (SSN)
The SSA provides a service called myE-Verify, through which you can lock your SSN. This helps in protecting your identity by preventing others from using your SSN for employment verification purposes.
Credit freezes, fraud alerts, and SSN locking can significantly strengthen your protection against identity theft.
These measures are essential and frequently costless, which makes them valuable to help prevent identity theft.
This way, you would protect yourself against identity theft and other people gaining unauthorized access to your identity.
ALSO READ – Who Pays For Property Insurance?
Final Thought
Now that we have established who offers complimentary identity theft protection, several free identity theft protection services provided by credit bureaus, FTC, banks, insurance companies, and technology companies help you prevent identity theft.
However, as one would expect from services offered for free, they only cover some of the angles provided by paid services.
Using these free services with proper personal protection measures can significantly improve security against identity theft.
By being very careful and engaging the necessary help and facilities, you can reduce the possibility of being a victim of identity fraud to the minimum.
Individuality theft prevention is about using the available resources and applying specific measures on your part.